My Views On Airline Roles in Disaster(s)

[true_notes]

When Hurricane Katrina made landfall national strategists, policy makers, and leaders were forced to make a grim reappraisal of their emergency tactics. The long standing ideal of using the military and civilian forces as the backbone of everything from civil obedience to the gargantuan task of delivering life necessities to possibly inhumane conditions over a large area has been proven illogical.
Within a capitalist society the decision to donate, help or provide logistic support through a private asset is theoretically rests upon the consumer’s shoulder. With the advent of stricter government regulations, due to the September 11 events, it is becoming more and more a governmental factor, vice the people’s voice. The giant corporations which make up the commercial airline business are a perfect case study of this point. In just a short 3 year period, they have endured decreased consumption, aligned with increased fuel price, maintenance and an overall failure in their goal of simply cutting even. The airlines have asked the government for money to keep afloat.
It is this that leads me to believe that an accord should be met. It has been proven through the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that these airlines can, and are willing despite their woes to transport logistical support as well as travel to victims. I would view this in similar ways as the Eisenhower Interstate System in which we all use every day of our lives. It was built on the foundation of a multilateral usage agreement between civilians in time of peace, and the military in times of national distress. The skies are no different. If the government is going to continue to fund airlines, they should be integrated in the overall emergency infrastructure, but used wisely just as the interstate system is today.